Environmental Studies Indulge in the Scientific Method at Zebulon

Experimental electronic music is not a genre that I seek out on a regular basis. To me, experimental electronic music is the equivalent of Arnold Schoenberg in classical music -- you catch it on occasion. My first encounter with experimental electronic music was when I was required to work up in San Francisco for a few months back in 2013. While up there, I decided to check out as many different venues as possible. It just so happened that three of those nights out were spent catching artists on their modular synthesizers.

Environmental Studios at Zebulon

Jump back to the present and Labor Day 2026, I was looking to catch some music. I naturally took a look at what was happening at Zebulon. I had never heard of any of the bands on the schedule, which I found intriguing. I then went looking at the social media of the performers. This was a night of experimental sounds. I was like, why not check out music that was not my norm.            

First up was Environmental Studies, which features Daniel Diako on synths and Paige Diako on wind synthesizer (and other interesting gadgets). They were dressed in white lab coats like two eccentric Doc Browns working on a time machine contraption. At times, the music sounded otherworldly and other times as if their music was drifting through ocean currents. 

Environmental Studios at Zebulon

The music impacted the audience in different ways. Some danced wildly while others sat on the floor in quiet observation.

Occasionally, their music included the spoken word:

His mind it still empty. His house it still ready. But fill it out, little by little.
But when it is good and ready, it'll burst in flames.    

Their set ended with a simple, "Thank you" 

Environmental Studios at Zebulon

I believe they played unreleased material for their set. About a year ago, they released Planet! which is inspired by Georges Méliès short films. Those songs were performed as a live score of those short films. The band has the following to say about the music on their bandcamp: What happens when hallucinatory future-world terror is faced with a sense of antic absurdity?  

Setlist: Rot, Pink Flamingo, Delphi, Jurassic, Planet Dance, Mr. Boss, Roz, Snatch.